


Flustered Little King

by horologiiums



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Bathing/Washing, F/M, Fluff, Hair Washing, Post-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-02
Updated: 2019-12-02
Packaged: 2021-02-17 22:37:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,298
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21650911
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/horologiiums/pseuds/horologiiums
Summary: Byleth found Claude to be far too adorable.
Relationships: My Unit | Byleth/Claude von Riegan
Comments: 18
Kudos: 174





	Flustered Little King

Byleth had just settled into the water of her bath when she started to hear noises coming from the entrance to her quarters. Her private bathing room was attached to the main part of her quarters, which was essentially her sleeping area, so no one could invite themselves in unless she had unlocked the door from the inside herself, or if the individual on the opposite side of the door had the corresponding key that could fit the lock. And only one other person besides her had been granted that privileged access.

She could hear Claude make what he would probably refer to as a “grand entrance”, announcing his presence with a joyous “My love!”, as if he fancied himself a performer for the Mittelfrank Opera Company. There was a silence that lasted a handful of seconds before she could hear him scuffling around, no doubt searching for her in her study. When he discovered that she wasn’t there, his footsteps made their way closer to where she currently was in the bathing room. Byleth figured that she could have called back to him after his dramatic initial greeting, but she wasn’t particularly fond of raising her voice unless absolutely necessary, so she withheld from any such shouting.

Through the door, Claude called softly, rapping his knuckles against the wooden barrier. “Byleth?”

“I’m here.”

“I’ve returned, my love.”

“I can see that.”

A mild laugh came from him at her blunt way of speech. Byleth could easily picture him rubbing at the back of his neck the way he did when he was nervous or embarrassed, under the condition that the action was for her eyes only.

The fondness that overtook her when she thought of that fact made the muscles in Byleth’s cheeks pull on the corners of her lips. Handsome, clever and sly as Claude was, he was also hopelessly adorable at times when it was just the two of them; she loved those secret sides of him dearly and was disinterested in ever sharing them with anyone else.

“My timing couldn’t be worse.” he complained despite his amused tone. “I arrive only for you to be in the bath.”

By the end of his sentence, Claude sounded a touch crestfallen, and Byleth tilted her head, unsure as to why his mood would have any reason to drop. It wasn’t as though the bath was only for her use — while she often referred to that room as her own, it was technically both of theirs. Claude was away more often than not, busying himself in his homeland of Almyra, so for the time being, the space was occupied by Byleth alone. But during the times when Claude freely flew across Fódlan’s Throat, whether it was for a political visit or a brief vacation, he stayed with Byleth, in their room built for two.

Remembering herself, Byleth straightened. Claude had no reason to feel depressed. There was an easy solution to his predicament, after all. “You’re welcome to join me.” she offered casually.

There was no immediate response. In truth, Byleth couldn’t hear anything at all from Claude. A quiet filled the space between them, though it wasn’t unpleasant, merely prolonged. But Byleth was patient, especially when it came to her love.

After a few more moments, she heard him, careful and shy. “Really?”

While it would make the first time that they bathed together, Byleth was unable to comprehend his bashfulness and its origins. A bath was a means of cleaning one’s body of dirt and grime and other filth. It was nothing to be afraid of, but perhaps his apprehension came from the idea that he would be bathing with another person nearby. Though that didn’t seem to add up either; during their days at the monastery, both before and during the war, the baths weren’t private. Sure, they were split into two segments, with one side being for the men and the other side for the women, but there wasn’t much privacy beyond that once inside each area.

With all of that considered, it didn’t leave Byleth with much to explain Claude’s timidness… unless it was due to the fact that it would be her, specifically, who he would be bathing with. Silly, she thought, because there was no reason for him to feel embarrassed about that. It wasn’t as though they had never seen each other unclothed before, nor was it as though they had never done far more intimate activities with each other.

Byleth could feel herself smiling again, her previous thoughts about Claude’s cuteness resurfacing. “I just got in myself, and you must want to wash up after your flight. The water is warm.” she encouraged him, hoping to entice him by mentioning the temperature of the bathwater.

Again, Byleth didn’t receive an instant reply. She could see Claude in her imagination shifting his weight from one foot to the other, knew that was exactly what he was doing on the opposite side of the door.

Then, finally, Byleth watched as the door handle dipped cautiously. The entrance to the bathing room cracked open slowly, so slowly, like he was scared that she would suddenly change her mind and scream at him to leave. Between the frame and the door itself, Claude at last poked his head in, peering at her.

He stared expressionlessly for a few seconds, and Byleth could feel his eyes tracing lines on her; her hair, her shoulders, her chest, everything that he could see from his position. They watched each other like that for what was probably longer than appropriate, but Claude allowed himself a smile before long, and it was oh so beautiful, ardent, tender. _Cute._

“You’re beautiful, my love.” he said, and the sound of his voice was devotion itself.

He fully stepped into the room after that, shutting the door behind him before stripping himself of his attire. The bath was relatively large, even for two people, but when Claude stepped into it, he positioned himself directly across from Byleth.

He let out a relaxed moan when he was seated, sinking down into the heated water until he was submerged up to his collarbone. “Ahh… that feels nice…” he breathed.

“I told you it was warm.” Byleth reminded him, but it didn’t seem that Claude was paying close attention to her anymore.

He moaned happily again, closing his eyes. And all of the sudden, he dunked himself under the water completely. It was so quick that Byleth didn’t have time to react before he broke the water’s surface, rising back up and shaking his newly soaked hair like a dog would shake its coat of fur.

Byleth let out a soft laugh at being sprayed by the water droplets, and her giggling only continued when she saw the state that Claude had put himself in: drenched, his hair a sopping, disheveled mess atop his head. His long fringe that he always kept combed back during the day fell in front of his face like a curtain, and the sight was far too hilarious to handle.

Byleth put a hand to her mouth, feeling like she was about to keel over from her fit of laughter. “You look ridiculous!” she managed while gasping for air.

Jerking his head, Claude attempted to flip his hair out of his eyes but failed miserably; he only made it more unkempt. “Oh, my love! You wound me!” he whined theatrically. “I come home after all this time, only for you to insult me!”

Byleth couldn’t take much more of how hysterical Claude looked, especially when paired with his enthusiastic way of speaking. She was just capable enough to lean forward and reach for his face. Her fingers carded through his disordered fringe and she pushed it back, revealing his shining, pine green eyes underneath, twinkling at her adoringly.

Once Claude was able to see again, Byleth moved back to her spot. She repositioned her legs in the water, crossing them, before gesturing to the space in front of her. “Come here, I’ll wash your hair for you.” the vestiges of her laughter could be heard in her voice, but she was able to speak relatively clearly.

A subtle flush rose on Claude’s cheeks — _positively endearing_ — and he averted his gaze, clearly not having expected her invitation. One of his hands went to his face and he scratched at his beard with a finger.

“You don’t have to do that.” he argued, but he sounded uncertain, like what he was saying wasn’t how he actually felt.

Byleth shook her head and extended her arms towards him, as if asking for a hug. “But I want to.”

Looking between her eyes and her outstretched arms for a brief moment, Claude’s resolve quickly crumbled and he pulled himself toward Byleth, rotating as he did so so that his back was facing her.

Humming at his lack of resistance, Byleth reached for the container of hair soap on the ground next to the bath and put a fair amount of it into her palms. Starting closer to his forehead, she ran her hands through his hair, coating it with the flowery smelling wash.

Despite his weak protest of being able to wash his hair himself, Claude was making happy little noises at Byleth’s ministrations. He slumped, trying to sink further into the water.

They were quiet for a while, simply enjoying the loving way in which Byleth cleaned his hair. But a thought came to her, a thought that reminded her of their positions in the world. A part of her didn’t want to ask, wanted to take pleasure in the time she was having with Claude, but they would have to bring it up eventually. She figured that they might as well get it out of the way as early as possible.

“So, how are things in Almyra? You didn’t send me as many letters these past months.”

Claude didn't react right away, just sat there and let Byleth continue working on his hair. He was probably thinking of what to say, she realized, and decided that it would be better to give him all the time he needed to conjure up his response, rather than pile on more questions for him to answer.

“Mmm… It’s been alright, just busy.” Claude yawned, as if he was trying to prove just how hectic it was really was, not that Byleth would ever have any reason to doubt him. “There’s still some arguing within the family that needs to be sorted out. Not everyone is exactly thrilled with the identity of their new king yet.”

Byleth frowned. Claude had told her many stories of his life in the past, the hatred and discrimination he faced on a daily basis because of his mixed heritage. She supposed that no matter how wrong she knew that those people were to villainize Claude for something that he had no control over — for something that wasn’t even a problem in the first place — their minds would not so easily be swayed, nor would they readily accept him as their next ruler. But…

“I thought you were an only child?” Byleth pressed her fingertips into his scalp as she asked, massaging him.

“I am, but my father has many siblings, and those many siblings have many children…” he trailed off, shifting under Byleth’s touch. “Things work differently in Almyra than they do in Fódlan. In any case, once the family bickering settles down, the rest of my homeland is sure to follow. This cowardly, half-Fódlan-blooded beast _was_ deemed worthy by my highly respected father to be crowned king, after all. _And_ I have a fair chunk of the navy backing me as well, but you already know that.”

She couldn’t see his face with his back turned to her, but Claude’s proud smirk was audible. It was obvious that he was referring to the time when he saved her during the assault on Derdriu, which had been spearheaded by the remnants of those who slither in the dark and the old Empire loyalists. It would forever remain a vivid memory in Byleth’s mind: the shrill battle cry from the east; hundreds upon hundreds of verdant flags waving in the air; Claude and the Almyran army charging toward the capital, ready to help defend it from its attackers.

Dipping her hands into the bathwater, Byleth scooped some up into her cupped palms before pouring it over Claude’s soapy hair. “I suppose that’s true.” she agreed. It took a bit more time for her to fully wash out his hair; in the meantime, Claude resumed making his pleased, purring-like sounds.

When she finally finished and made sure that every last sud was out of his hair, she tapped his shoulder. “All done.”

Claude sat up straight and turned, beaming, looking entirely refreshed. “Your turn.”

With a small laugh, entertained by how swiftly Claude’s disposition changed from shy to confident, Byleth spun on her bottom and let him get to work. He really was so cute.

Once she could feel the soap begin to bubble in her hair under his satisfying touches, Claude spoke up. “And you? How are things on your side?”

Byleth had almost missed his question, already melting under the comforting, expert way his hands moved across her skull. Claude had given her massages a handful of times before, on her shoulders and lower back for example, but having his finger press delicately into her scalp as he washed her hair felt amazing, like nothing she’d ever experienced before. They should have started taking baths together much sooner.

Remembering that she had been asked a question, Byleth forced herself to concentrate on concocting a response. “Things have been going quite well.” she dug through her memory, picked up the most notable events that had transpired in the time since they last spoke. “No one has forgotten what the Almyran army did for us during the war, and having General Holst speak so fondly of his brotherhood with Nader has been helping a great deal, as well… It’s thanks to your scheming that things have been progressing so smoothly.”

It wasn’t her intention to flatter him, Byleth merely spoke the truth. Claude was always a man who planned for things ten steps ahead of everyone else. There wasn’t a shred of doubt in her mind that part of the reason why he arranged for Holst and Nader to befriend each other was so that, when the famed Fódlan general spoke highly of the renowned Almyran warrior, it would be much easier to educate the masses that “outsiders” weren’t so different from them at all — that they weren’t beasts who needed to be put down.

“Well, I’m glad to hear that.” Claude’s reply was a tad tentative. His hands left her head for only a moment as he scooped up some water, beginning to rinse the soap out of her hair as she had done for him.

“It’s taking time…” Byleth went on, and she leaned into the water pouring over her. “But we’ll have the world you’ve dreamed of soon.”

“Yeah…”

She couldn't ignore it that time, the strange, unsettling hesitation in his voice. The air between them turned frosty despite the heat of their bath, and anxiety unfurled in her stomach, sprouting like a weed.

Certain that there weren’t many suds left in her hair, Byleth angled her head, trying to look at Claude from over her shoulder. “What’s wrong?”

Even with her best efforts, she couldn’t make out Claude’s face. She was grateful that he didn’t try to dodge her query; his confession came surprisingly fast.

“Ah, no— It’s nothing. I just…” Byleth could hear his disgruntled expression, could feel his frown in the way he tensed behind her. “I made such an impressive speech when I proposed to you, about how we’d meet again at the dawn of our new world... but we’ve yet to see it, even though we’re already married...”

A silence fell between them and Claude’s hands moved to rest on Byleth’s hips in the water. He didn’t say anything else, apparently choosing to wait for her reaction instead.

Unfortunately for them both, Byleth found herself speechless. Not out of shock or offense, or because she felt that he had betrayed his initial vow to her, but because he was just too unbelievably, hopelessly _precious._

_Truly_ precious.

How long had he been concerning himself over his proposal? Had he been fearing that Byleth would be upset with him? All of her wonders swirled around in her head, dizzying her, but they simultaneously made her chest feel warm, a delightful buzz soaring through her limbs.

For such a brilliant, calculating, devious man, Claude von Riegan was also a worrying fool.

A worrying fool in love.

An _adorable_ worrying fool in love with _her._

Byleth swallowed, finding her voice after its temporary getaway. How desperately she wanted to enlighten him on how cute she found him, wanted to smother his cheeks with light kisses, but she controlled herself, knew that she would most likely chase him out of the bathing room if she tried to pull a stunt like that when he was feeling vulnerable.

“We can’t change the world overnight, Claude. And I think our progress warrants a reward.” she wasn’t wrong, but she hoped that the words she decided on saying wouldn’t discourage him.

Relief washed over her when he chuckled lightly, the sound of it alone being enough to pluck her worries out of her belly. “A reward in marriage and getting to bathe with my wife after months of us being apart?” he half teased.

Byleth nodded. “Yes.”

Claude full on laughed at her one word approval and she felt him shift closer to her. “You’re so fascinating, my love.”

A smile stole its way onto her lips, remembering the first time that he had described her as such. He had still been a young boy then, bright eyed but guarded, charismatic yet untrusting. He was cute then, too, but not in the way that she found him cute at present. An unbearable, wholly intoxicating kind of _cute._

Byleth was finding it difficult to repress her urges; just as she thought to turn around to kiss Claude, to tell him how much she loved him over and over again, his strong arms wrapped around her, pulling her onto his lap and against his warm body. One arm settled over her stomach while the other moved up her chest, hand gripping her shoulder gently. She felt Claude’s forehead drop to the shoulder that his hand wasn't occupying, and he sighed deeply, nuzzling her.

“Claude?”

“Mmm… I’ve missed you…” his murmur was said against her skin, and he kissed her shoulder. Byleth shuddered at the light suck that followed, relishing the feeling of his mouth on her body again after so long. “I don’t wanna talk about this stuff anymore… I just wanna think about you.”

Byleth’s body tingled with happiness and longing, and she lifted her hand, maneuvering it behind Claude’s head so she could pet his damp hair. “I can allow that for tonight.”

He hummed again, very lazily, and his hand left her shoulder, moving southward. He held one of her breasts, carefully kneading it in the water and Byleth moaned at his wanting touches that she had missed so dearly. “Can you allow this too, Your Majesty?” the words came out muffled, both from the fact that he was still speaking into her shoulder, and because he was reverting back into shyness, even with his hand playing with her as it was.

But Byleth didn’t mind his timid reluctance. It was part of what made him so irresistibly adorable, after all.

“Of course… but let’s finish washing up first.”

**Author's Note:**

> clod is really cute & Byleth is really cute & THEY’RE really cute so I wrote about them being really cute. that’s it, there's no other point to this fic.
> 
> thanks if you made it to the end, I hope you enjoyed!
> 
> [twitter](https://twitter.com/toast_ryu) where I cry about clod & byleth all day sobss


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